stonewalls enthrall---Monday Poetry Train and Cafe Writing

Using the following image from Option One of November Project for Cafe Writing, I wrote a villanelle after a very long time. I offer the same for Monday Poetry Train too. I know it needs a bit of re-work. I am still posting it.

















candle light casts flickering shadows on stonewall
marked with time’s stamps. attention fluctuates
between reality and fantasy, poised- thoughts stall

for more composure, pen flows with almost a crawl
on yellowed parchment, all of a sudden accelerates.
candle light casts flickering shadows on stonewall,

projecting images from the psyche, enthralling all
for unexpected adventure, which only can accentuate
between reality and fantasy, poised- thoughts stall

with closed fists, helplessly compelled. shawl
pulled tight, it is the cold, surrounding assimilates.
candle light casts flickering shadows on stonewall.

wavering by winds, awaiting eagerly for downfall
pen moves briskly on paper, whatever lips advocate,
between reality and fantasy, poised- thoughts stall.

so much history is contained between these walls
yet secrets have to be kept away- not precipitate.
candle light casts flickering shadows on stonewall
between reality and fantasy, poised- thoughts stall.

Trick of Being Scientific----Poetry Thursday

nowadays, emphasis should more on the scientific-
studies which can be comprehended with proofs
explanations are to be simple with no blatant tricks.

learning process should never make any one sick-
taking all those in a stride, uncaring of any spoofs.
nowadays, emphasis should more on the scientific.

mind to be nurtured with extreme care brick by brick-
stimulation provided for thinking out of the loops,
explanations are to be simple with no blatant tricks.

there is nothing in the discipline no one cannot pick;
knowledge to be paramount, never considered goofs.
nowadays, emphasis should more on the scientific,

which makes commencement of it appealing to click
in psyche, taking child’s intelligence beyond the roofs;
explanations are to be simple with no blatant tricks.

paradoxes prove the rule, learning has to be quick,
certain theories though tricky made easy in groups.
nowadays, emphasis should more on the scientific-
explanations are to be simple with no blatant tricks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* I was not very satisfied with my original post. I have played around a bit. Even now I am not much satisfied with it. As I said once before, villanelles are killers.

**I am feeling very sad about the announcement of closure of Poetry Thursday. I wish all the best to Rob Kistner if he hosts PT or starts a new poetry site.

Phenomena of Triviality-----Sunday Scribblings

Sunday Scribblings asks us to write about phenomenon.


Villanelle of the Sciences

in my younger days, phenomenon meant scientific
events recurring could be comprehended with proofs
explanations were a plethora with no blatant tricks.

learning those bigger formulae never made me sick
we took those in a stride, uncaring of any spoofs.
in my younger days, phenomenon meant scientific

mind was nurtured with extreme care brick by brick-
stimulation provided for thinking out of the loops
explanations were a plethora with no blatant tricks.

there was nothing in the discipline i could not pick,
knowledge was paramount, never considered goofs
in those good old days, phenomenon meant scientific.

this made commencement of it appealing to click
in psych taking my intelligence beyond the roofs,
explanations were a plethora with no blatant tricks.

paradoxes proved only the rule, learning was quick
certain theories though tricky but followed in groups.
in my younger days, phenomenon meant scientific,
explanations were a plethora with no blatant tricks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a student of science, I am more familiar with the various scientific phenomena. I mugged a few, understood some and hated the rest. I never quite understood how could any event or non-event become a phenomenon.

The word has become synonym with blind following with no rhyme or reason. Mass adulation is a phenomenon now. Blind following borders on insanity and mass hysteria.
We can make or break a person thus. How and why such events occur is hard to say.

In our schools, we tend to call examinations as phenomena, which almost all students and a few teachers hate. This works in a negative way.

A few years back, Indian girls started winning international beauty pageants. Every young girl worth her salt wants to follow their example. I think we can do without this kind of happenings. What we need is more and more girls following women who contributed for the betterment of the society and not just be decorative pieces.

Lately any stupid news becomes breaking news. This has been seen since the emergence of news channels. All want viewers and resort to cheap publicity. The captions are interesting too, titillating the minds of the viewers.

Strange that my mind has started to waver and wander. Is that a signal to stop my rambling?! Is that some kind of omen or a phenomenon? Scientific or otherwise? What say, folks?

Read more phenomena...

Emergence---Villanelle----Sunday Scribblings

Sunday Scribblings prompt is about masks...real or imaginary ones. A villanelle pertaining to that.

Emergence

Thin line between reality & fantasy is gone,
falsehood crumbles under its own weight.
Out of the debris, something new is born.

Pervading peace resounds and withdrawn
as the consequences of pragmatic debate.
Thin line between reality & fantasy is gone

taking nightmares away in that new dawn.
Life long embedded fears slowly abate-
out of the debris, something new is born.

Drawing out a conclusion taken foregone-
stripping off mask to be with its soul mate,
thin line between reality & fantasy is gone.

With effort, comes the will power to go on,
shunning all that deemed normal till date.
Out of the debris, something new is born,

freshness of it all does not let mourn
slipping of façade, which was way too late.
Thin line between reality & fantasy is gone
out of the debris, something new is born.

Click for more masks...

Inertia----Villanelle---Poetry Thursday

This week, Poetry Thursday gave us the option of posting anything we liked, which is given as it's a free day. I almost did not write anything but finally wrote what I had been feeling all day today. State of Inertia. We all face it and come through. I too came through. Maybe writing it down helped. I have tackled it in the form of a villanelle. I am kind of enamoured by the structure after detesting it for so long!!

I post my first draft here. I will edit it soon. Or not if I don't want to.

Inertia

With not so much as a movement of my eyes
I stare unseeingly at nothing in particular,
words are passing back and forth like dice.

Images focus, get blurred, answering whys
gets so tough. Thoughts cease, get dipolar,
with not so much as a movement of my eyes.

All seem to be in a perpetual motion, surprise
is still not something I feel, more of an insular.
Words are passing back and forth like dice.

Stillness within the mind, enhanced, demise
of rationality, disorder of reflection registers.
With not so much as a movement of my eyes,

I contemplate ending the state of limbo; “unwise
decision,” tells me my inner self. Now spectacular
words are passing back and forth like dice.

Inertia of thoughts stops suddenly- goodbyes
exchanged. I am yet again amazed, stellular;
with not so much as a movement of my eyes;
words are passing back and forth like dice!

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Read more-a thursday, free day...

of bygone eras----Villanelle---Poetry Thursday.

Poetry Thursday wants us to write a villanelle. I posted the previous one as a warm up for this. This is my second one. I find that those are not as difficult as I had thought. I wrote this in seven minutes flat.

of bygone eras

peeled, decrepit walls, mildewed paints;
stale air circulating reminding of life
of bygone eras, albeit mild complaints.

not long ago, lived in here some saints
going on with daily chores without strife;
peeled decrepit walls, mildewed paints.

sufficient for their small needs, faint
wants. Wisdom from them flowed, rife
of bygone eras, albeit mild complaints.

when all went away, the house fell silent
doors creaked, no one played that fife;
peeled, decrepit walls, mildewed paints.

desiring sounds in past had constraints’
wishing only silence sliced with a knife
of bygone eras, albeit mild complaints.

closed windows now put no restraints
on craving, old house to be filled with life;
peeled, decrepit walls, mildewed paints-
of bygone eras, albeit mild complaints.

................................................................

Read more villanelles....

Writing a Villanelle

Finally I managed to write a villanelle. It is one of the most difficult forms of structured poetry. As this is my first villanelle, I can be excused for it not being upto the mark. As I go along I ought to do better. More about villanelles can be found here. One of the most famous villanelle is "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas. Do read that.

So here I write about writing a villanelle, the whole process..:D

Writing a Villanelle

It seems to be such a lost cause,
I feel I am banging against a wall.
words are clogged, being at a loss.

whirling in the mind, they toss
aimlessly wandering for a call.
it seems to be such a lost cause;

hunting naively even under moss
my pen suddenly halts with a crawl.
words are clogged, being at a loss.

creating is difficult, ideas seem gross-
crying for attention, in utmost enthrall.
it seems to be such a lost cause.

with fortitude I firmly trudge across;
reinforcing my will to again scrawl.
words are clogged, being at a loss

no longer holding true. I am the boss.
I finally finish one and no longer bawl,
“It seems to be such a lost cause.
words are clogged, being at a loss!”